Machine for folding cuff-blanks or the like.



No. 778.751. PATENTED O. H. KNAPPK MACHINE FOR FOLDING CUFF BLANKS ORTHE L I APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19, 19Q3.

'k/ WITNESSES: W W

DEC. 27, 1904.

IKE.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

FATENTED DEC. 27, 1904.

0. H. KNAPP.

MACHINE FOR FOLDING CUFF BLANKS OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.19,1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR, %w%W,

WiTNESSES:

ATTORNEYS PATENTED DEC. 27, 1904.-

0. KNAPP. MACHINE FOR FOLDING CUFF BLANKS OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.19, 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR, 5MM

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS.

PATENTED DEC. 27, 1904.

C. H. KNAPP.

MACHINE FOR FOLDING CUFF BLANKS OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILEDMAR.19.19OS.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

INVENTOR, ZLLZZ 7 ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES Patented December 27, 1904.

PATENT OEEIcE.

CHARLES H. KNAPP, OF PATERSON, N E JERSEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,751, dated December27, 1904.

Application filed March 19, 1903.

To (all 1071 0712 it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. KNAPP, a citizen of the United States,residing" in Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines forFolding Cutf- Blanks or the Like; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tocharacters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification. a

My invention relates to machines of the general nature of thoseillustrated in my United States Letters Patent Nos. 668,920, 699,132,and 713,112; and it consists in a machine involving certain improvementsapplicable to the general class of machines indicated, as well as meansfor folding cuff-blanks or the like, which when completed have theformation illustrated in Fig. 10 of the drawings hereof.

The invention will be found fully illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a top plan View of one form of myimproved machine, showing the die-plates and the surroundingfolding-plates all retracted. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, butshowing the main dieplates and main folding-plates in the foldingposition-2'. 0., with the latter overlapping the edges of the former.Fig. 3 is an enlarged top plan View of a portion of the machine, showingall the folding-plates and all the die-plates-z'. 0., the main foldingand die plates and the folding and die plates for the tabs on thearticle to be folded in their folding positions. Fig. 1 is a view,partly in elevation and partly in section, of the die. Fig. 5 is a topplan view of the actuating-disk of the die and of the sliding link whichdirectly controls the tab-folding die-plate. Figs. 6 and 7 are verticalsectional fragmentary views taken on the lines :1: a: in Fig. 1 and ;z1/ in Fig. 3, respectively, and looking in the direction of the arrow inSerial No. 148,470.

said figures. Figs. 8 and 9 are fragmentary views of another form of themachine, all the folding and die plates being in the one instanceretracted and in the other instance contracted; and Fig. 10 shows thefinished cuff-blank.

On the usual bed a of the machine, which may be heated by steam orotherwise in any well-known manner, is arranged a series of edge-foldingplatesb and Z) and a series of corner folding plates 0, the inner actingcorners of the latter of which are provided with thin triangular fins(Z, which project laterally under the adjacent corners of the plates 6Z) and 77, as best seen in Fig. 1. The plates 7) 7/ and b haveprojecting downwardly therefrom forks c, which receive camsf on a seriesof shafts 9. arranged below the bed in rectangular disposition andconnected by bevelbearing 7t, so that when the actuating-crank i, whichis carried by one of them, is turned all of the shafts turn in unison.It will be understood that the forks project down through openingsprovided in the bed and that the rotating of the shafts and camebackward or forward results in the inward or outward movementsimultaneously of the foldingplates 7) 7/ and 5 In order that thecornerfolding plates 0 may move together with the folding-plates b I)and 5 I provide the latter with tongues 7', which overlap the former andtake in grooves 70 in the corner-folding plates. The actuating-crank islimited to move only through substantially one hundred and eightydegrees by stops Z.

m is an arm pivoted at the back of the bed and formed at its free endwith a cross-piece a. To this cross-piece is fixed, as by bolts 0,aplate 3), between which and the cross-piece are guided two slidingplates the same being arranged to move to and from each other in adirection lengthwise of the cross-piece. Against the under side of theplate p lie the main die-plates r. These are arranged so as to moveoutwardly or inwardly in expanding or contracting the die, and to thisend are provided with guide-pins s, which project upwardly throughoblique slots a in the plate p and substantially transverse slots a inthe sliding plates g and whose heads (said pins being preferably screws)keep the die-plates in place.

The sliding plates qare actuated from adisk a, formed at the lower endofa sleeve w,which has bearings in the head mof arm m, by means of pinsy projecting upwardly from the sliding plates and extending intoeccentric slotsz in the disk. The disk may be rotated froma crank 1,actuated itself'in any desired manner.

2 is a substantially rectangular endless or continuous presser-plate,which may be drawn down against the edge-folding and cornerfoldingplates 7), 7/, b and c by headed rods 3, which project through slots 4in the edgefolding plates and which may itself be drawn down upon by anysuitable means. (See, for instance, my prior patents above referred to.)This presser-plate carries gages 5, arranged at right angles to eachother and having longitudinal slots 6, which receive the set-screws forfixing said gages in position. said gages being adapted as guides forplacing the blank to be folded.

As so far described the machine is adapted simply for foldingthe edges 7of the blank 8. To this end the operatorfirst places the blank on thebed, using the gages in order to properly dispose it, and then lowersthe die, the same being at this time contracted. The die is thenexpanded by turning the handle 1 from the position shown in Fig. 1 tothat shown in Figs. 2or 3. Crank 7: is then turned until a recess 9therein receives a spring-actuated detent 10, forming a temporary stop.This rotation of the crank is sufficient to turn cams f far enough sothat they will have thrown the edge-folding and corner-folding platesand b b and 0 to their innermost limit, which is where their inner edgesoverlap the edges of the die-plates. The continued rotation of the crankc' in the same direction effects upon the outfolding of the tab 11 theinfolding of the edges 12 thereof, so that said tab assumes thedisposition and shape shown ing in the groove 13 and havingtransverseslots 17, which receive pins 18, projecting up from thefolding-plates and forming pivots for parallel links 19, which connectthe folding-plates 14 with the main edge-folding plate so that whenplate 16 is moved inwardly or outwardly a substantially oblique movementis imparted to the folding-plate 14. In order to actuate plate 16, 1provide a fork 20, which is carried thereby and projects down throughthe bed and plate 16 and is adapted to be actuated by a cam 21 on thecorresponding shaft said cam being arranged to move the fork inwardly alittle later than the other cams f move the forks e.

22 is the die-plate which coacts with foldingplates 14. It moveslongitudinally with reference to plate 7) in a groove 23 in the underside thereof and carries a pin 24, which works in a slot 25, penetratingplate p, and another slot 26, penetrating the adjoining slidingplate Pin24 is connected by a link 27 with a crank 28 through the medium of a pin29 on the crank and a transverse slot 30 in the link receiving said pin,said crank being on the lowerend of aspindle 31, which penetrates thesleeve on and carries at its upper end an actuating-handle 32. The crank28 is set in a sector-shaped recess 33 in the under side of disk w.

34 is an inclined shoulder on the die-plate 22, which when the die-plateis extended takes against the under side of plate 2) at 35 to hold thedie-plate down, but which when the dieplate is retracted and saidshoulder is unopposed to plate at 35 permits a slight upward movement ofthe die-plate.

In that form of the invention shown in Figs. 8 and 9 a somewhatdifferent mechanism for folding the tab edges 12 from that abovedescribed is provided. In the groove 13 is arranged a pair offolding-plates 36, which have a common pivot on astud 37, projectingfrom a plate 38, arranged to also slide in groove 13 like plate 16. Eachplate 36 is connected at its rear end with the main edge-folding plate 6by means of a pivoting-link 39, the pivots 40 between the links andplates 36 extending through curved slots 41 in plate 38. The plates 36are given a scissors-like action by moving plate 38 backward andforwardin groove 13. Their motion is limited by pins 42, arranged onplate 38 and working in openings 43 in the links. The fork 20 may besecured to plate 38 to transmit action from cam 21 the same as ittransmits the cams action to plate 16, as above described.

hen crank has been thrown to the posi tion where it is temporarilystopped by detent 9, it leaves the tab projecting inwardly with itsedges unfolded. The tab is next folded outwardly, its folding orcreasing line being coincident with the inner edge of the fold of theblank from which it projects, as at 43 in Fig. 10. This is accomplishedby turning handle 32 to the left, so that through crank 28, link 27, andpin 24 the die-plate 22 is thrown outwardly, folding the tab at 43.Thereupon crank 2' is thrown to the extreme limit of its motion, so thatearns 21 are brought into action to move the forks 20 and the plate 16(or 38) controlled thereby inwardly. The effect of the inward movementof the plate 16 (or 38) is to move plates 14 (or 36) not only inwardly,but at their inner ends together, so that their forming edges I4: takean inwardlyoblique direction, and so fold back the edge 12 of the tabinto the position shown in Fig. 10. The next step in the operation isthat simply involved in effecting the pressing downwardly of thepresser-plate 2, so as to permanently establish the creases in the blankwhere folded.

The machine is opened, so as to permit the removal of the folded blankand the insertion of a new one, by first rotating crank back to thestarting-point and then turning crank 1 to the right. Crank 1 not onlyacts to directly contract the main die-plates, but as it turns disk 1 itbrings the face 32 of the recess in said disk against crank 28, so thatthe latter causes the tab-folding die-plate 22 to retract.

The arrangement of tab-folding die-plate 22 is such that until it almostreaches its outer limit of movement it is free for slight verticalmotion. This permits it to ride up on the tab, as it were, in outfoldingthe same; but at its extreme limit of motion its shoulder 3a engagesplate 7) at 35 in such manner that the die-plate is held firmly downagainst the tab.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a machine for formingreverse folds in cuff-blanks, the combination of the bed, severalfolding devices, two of which are movable in substantially the samedirection in spaced planes and the third of which is movablesubstantially oppositely in a plane between the planes of movement ofsaid firstnamed devices and in between said devices themselves, andmeans for confining said devices to their respective planes of movement,substantially as described.

2. In a machine for forming reverse-folds in cuff-blanks, thecombination of the bed and several folding devices, two of which aremovable in substantially the same direction in spaced planes and thethird of which is movable substantially oppositely and in between saidfirst-named devices, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for folding articles having projecting tabs, thecombination of the bed, folding devices actingin reverse directions tofold back the portion of the blank having the tab, means for moving oneof said folding devices to effect this folding, another folding deviceacting to fold back the tab relatively to, and subsequently to thefolding back of, said portion,and means for moving said last-namedfolding device to effect this latter folding, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a machine for folding cuff-blanks having projecting tabs, thecombination of the bed, edge-folding devices arranged on the bed, a diehaving die-plates coactive with said edge-folding devices, a tab-foldingdie-plate carried by said die and movable therein to effect the folding,and tab-edge-folding plates carried by one of the first-named edge-fold'ing devices and movable therein to effect the tab-edge folding,substantially as described.

5. In a machine for folding cufi-blanks having projecting tabs, thecombination of the bed, folding devices acting in reverse directions tofold back the portion of the blank having the tab, and other foldingdevices acting to fold back the tab relatively to said portion and tofold back the tab edges, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the bed, an edgefold ing plate, a die-platecoactive with said folding-plate, a tab-folding die-plate and atabedge-folding plate carried by said edge-fold ing plate and coactivewith said tab-folding die-plate, said tab-edge-folding plate beingmovable in the edge-folding plate to effect the tab-edge folding,substantially as described.

7. The combination of the bed, edge-folding and tab-edge-folding devicesarranged on said bed, and a movable die comprising die-plates coactivewith the edgefolding devices, an-

other die-plate coactive withthe tab-edge-folding devices, andseparately-actuative means for moving the respective die-plates,substantially as described.

8. In a die for a machine for folding cuffblanks, the combination of asupporting member, a'group of contractile die-plates arranged in saidsupporting member, another die-plate movable independently of saidfirst-named dieplates, means for actuating said group of dieplatestogether, and separate means for actuating the independently-movabledie-plate, substantially as described.

9. In a die for a machine for folding cuffblanks, the combination of asupporting member, die-plates movable independently of each other andarranged in said supporting member, rotary actuating members, operativeconnecting means between one of said members and one of the die-plates,operative connecting means between the other member and the otherdie-plate, and a projection-and-recess connection between said memberspermitting one to move a part of its extent of movement independently ofthe other, substantially as described.

10. The combination of a suitable support, folding devices arranged theone over the other and each movable in the plane in which it lies and inthe same direction as the other, together therewith, one of said devicesbeing also movable to and from the other in a direction transverse ofsaid plane, and contacting devices for crowding said last-named foldingdevice to- In testimony that 1 claim the foregoing I Ward the otherduring its movement in the have hereunto set my hand this 2d day of 16flame in which it lies, one oflsaid contzictilrag March, 1903. c evicesbeing carried by said ast-namec f0 5 ing device and the other beingrelatively fixed CHARLES KNAPP and disposed in the path of movement ofsaid Witnesses: first-named contacting device, substantially as JOHN W.STEWARD, described. J AMES B. NEWTON.

